Last Blast for Summer Traffic

DENVER – The Colorado Department of Transportation is reminding drivers to anticipate heavy traffic in many areas of the state due to the number of events and recreational activities taking place over the Labor Day weekend.

All CDOT construction projects will be suspended statewide on Friday at noon to reduce potential traffic delays. The only exception is for emergency operations. Projects resume their regular schedule on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

Heavier than normal traffic should be anticipated on Interstate 25 along the Front Range and on I-70 west of Denver this weekend. I-70’s traffic tends to be heaviest from mid-morning until late afternoon on Friday, and from 7 a.m. to mid-afternoon on Saturday. Eastbound I-70 traffic will be at its peak on Labor Day from mid-morning to late afternoon, especially from Summit County to the Denver area.

The 2018 Labor Day weekend traffic numbers at the Eisenhower/Johnson Memorial Tunnels:

Westbound

Eastbound

Total

Friday, Aug. 31

34,202

18,551

52,753

Saturday, Sept. 1

29,486

17,889

47,375

Sunday, Sept. 2

20,005

26,012

46,017

Monday, Sept. 3

15,593

31,450

47,043

Total

99,286

93,902

193,188

State Highway 5 – the Mount Evans Highway – closes from Summit Lake to the top on Tuesday, Sept. 3. The remaining segment from Echo Lake to Summit Lake is scheduled to remain open until Monday, Oct. 7, weather permitting.

Other seasonal roadways – State Highway 82 over Independence Pass between Twin Lakes and Aspen and Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park – remain open through the fall until adverse weather requires a full closure for the winter.

Information regarding the opening and closing of seasonal highways in Colorado is available on the cotrip.org website or by calling 511.